Every time after I shave, I get more acne in those areas. I use a safety razor and an oat based cream. I always wash my face beforehand. Is there a way I can reduce the amount of acne I get after shaving?
For me a double edged safety razor as well as drawing a face map of the directions my hair grows so I could shave “with the grain” for the first pass.
I have the same problem and switched to an electric foil shaver. It’s not as close a shave so it does leave a bit of a stubble. That look might not work for everyone but it works for me
Foils are good, but the rotary style electric shavers create the least irritation. I use one, and would recommend it. It also comes with a little cleaner base that keeps the heads disinfected and clean of hair particles.
A Phillips One-Blade will give you a decently close shave, but not razor close, but it also doesn’t cause nearly the irritation and doesn’t cut hairs below the skin.
Disagree. Really depends on the hair. Rotary pulls mine. I switched to foil a long time ago and haven’t had issues since.
Fair enough. I had the opposite, where foils caused irritation (even my Braun Series 7), but my Philips Norelco 9500 has been the superior shaver, all around.
I still use the One-Blade to pre-trim though, especially if the whiskers are longer.
I use that for my face too, super easy and I can’t cut myself with it lol
can’t say it leaves any stubble for me though
Is growing a beard not an option?
I’m younger so my facial hair is not fully developed yet and I don’t wanna have a pubestash
Sometimes you just have to embrace what you what, find a way to make it work. It doesn’t always work admittedly, and I am biased in that I basically had a full beard at 17 and trying to maintain a clean shaven look is a losing battle for me. But even some of my friends who have more patchy facial hair can pull it off.
Im almost 40 and my facial hair is still in the pubestash phase
Are you sure that it’s the shaving and not the cream?
It would be easy enough to test, say by not shaving for a couple of days and applying the cream to one side of your face.
I had a reaction (not acne), only to some shaving lubes (it wasn’t the shaving, per se). I ended up noting the ingredients of the lubes and narrowed down what was triggering it. I now use oil or a really cheap, supermarket foam.
Good luck 👌🏼
Feather blades, single blade, use foam and this brush to apply it. Then alcohol.
Alcohol will dry the fuck out of your skin & may cause further blemishes to form.
the alchohol is there to kill to the bacteria- which is the immediate cause of acne. most aftershave splashes will also include some glycerin to re-moisturize the skin.
if you don’t want a scented product, you can do IPA and then some aftershave balm instead.
Another recommendation for Feather blades. There is a learning curve where you take the name literally when applying pressure, especially while learning. If you ever decide to try a safety razor, something like the Lord L6 safety on Amazon is inexpensive. A basic cream like Porasso or any canned cream will work (don’t invest in a brush yet, use hands to lather at fist) and don’t forget a styptic pencil for the war wounds.
Then consider investing in a brush and something like a Merkur 34C. A pack of 100 Feather razors lasts a couple years when changing the blade weekly and the shaving soap/cream lasts the better part of a year.
I shave after showering, soak brush in the sink with warm water and use a shaving soap. Shave short strokes one pass with the grain. Rinse with cool water and pat dry with a clean towel.
Good luck and don’t go down the straight razor rabbit hole.
Safety razor is prolly easier option for a rookie.
It is always cheaper than disposable long term
Good shaving cream and maybe pre shave if cream itself doesn’t work.
Its a bit pricey up front but it lasts as you need very small amount to get desired results. Then after shave. I just use cream and it is fine but when I started I used pre and after since I had similar issues to OP
My two cents are the following : avoid irritation as much as you can. This means doing as few passes as you can, if possible shaving somewhat less often, and/or shave less close to the skin, for exemple using an electric trimmer. You should wash beforehand using hot water, and afterwards using cold water, and then dry before moisturising. I personally use and beeswax and olive oil based cream but a lot of products will do the trick. Remember that every skin is different, and sometimes, you can do everything right and still have symptoms, so you should adjust your shaving habits to accommodate those
Using hot water beforehand was what caused my irritation. I had a dermatologist recommend using a tri-head electric razor before showering with a dry face. I bought one for $50 a few years back and it’s been a night and day difference for me. I used to get pretty bad skin irritation, despite doing all the suggested things. It’s not as close of a shave, but my skin is a lot healthier. I’ve seen some people say they’ve benefited from only using cold water when shaving, but dry shaving has been the best route for me.
Didn’t realize that hot water can cause irritation. I’ll try doing it cold.
Sanitize your razor more often. Before and after every shave.
A couple things for blade care to keep it clean and sharp: Set the blade in a dish of rice after use to soak away the moisture. If your blade begins to dull, rub the blade against denim with normal-use strokes to sharpen the blade and remove any microscopic rust development. I heard these tips on a radio show more than a decade ago and feel as though they made a noticeable difference for me.
Instructions unclear. Rice plants growing out of pores.
Are you black? I ask because in prison pretty much every black person got a shave pass meaning they only had to shave once a week instead of stay absolutely clean fucking shaven like the rest of us with the cheap razors we got each week.
They got to use the barbers electric razors instead and that seemed to really help
Is it acne or in growing hairs causing the acne? Try not shaving against the direction of growth, do across or with the growth. I use a wet alum block sometimes, helps with small cuts and irritation after, however it stings like fuck. One block will last you a life time unless you drop it. Also a face scrub can help the day after, however the wife has an oil based soft one that makes my skin worse, I have to use a more aggressive non oily one
In addition to what everyone else says, I’ve done well with rubbing aloe on after. I’m not usually a natural goop guy but my ex bought it for me and I found it actually works pretty well.
Use a cleanser that destroys bacterial bioflims and addresses the core issue (and clean/replace razor regularly)
The only company I am aware of with a product that reliably helps stop the acne cycle by destroying the biofilms is this: https://tbhskincare.com/collections/cleansers-for-acne-prone-skin/products/antibacterial-cleanser
See a dermatologist, there are multiple causes of acne and you may need to treat it with diet or medication.
This!
Many people’s hormones are out of balance due to a diet with lots of sugar and fructose. It never hurts to cut down and see if things improve
I’ve always had pretty sensitive skin and trouble with razor burn and then ingrown hairs and acne after shaving. I’ve used everything from cheap single- and dual- blade generic, disposable razors to Mach 3 (and four- and five-blade razors with handles that you replace the cartridges on) to electric shavers (Norelco-style with the three round foils as well as the Braun-style straight foil) to eventually safety razors. I’ve actually had the best luck with safety razors and trying to find a routine and style of shaving that keeps my skin less angry, as well as using a blade that works for me.
A friend told me about Henson razors. They’re manufactured to really tight tolerances to keep the blade from slipping around while you’re pulling it across your face and I think the angle of the blade is different than most safety razors. It has been a night and day difference for me. I can actually shave faster and more haphazardly than before and I no longer cut myself shaving. And the best part is I no longer get razor burn, even when shaving against the grain. (Depending on the texture of your hair you may need the AL13-M model. I find that shaving pubic or body hair takes forever with their standard AL-13, but also it keeps you from cutting your balls off.)
Many sectors don’t want you to know lifestyle, sports and nutrition define the state of your skin, body in general and mind
